hustle

1 of 2

verb

hus·​tle ˈhə-səl How to pronounce hustle (audio)
hustled; hustling ˈhə-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce hustle (audio) ; hustles

transitive verb

1
a
: to crowd or push roughly : jostle, shove
had been hustled into a jail cell with the other protesters
b
: to convey forcibly or hurriedly
… grabbed him by the arm and hustled him out the door …John Dos Passos
c
: to urge forward precipitately
hustling tourists from one museum to the next
2
a
: to obtain by energetic activity
usually used with up
hustle up new customers
try to hustle up some tickets to tonight's game
hustling up some grub
b
: to sell something to or obtain something from (someone) by energetic and especially underhanded activity : swindle
hustling the suckers
an elaborate scam to hustle the elderly
c
: to sell or promote energetically and aggressively
hustling a new product
d
: to lure less skillful players into competing against oneself at (a gambling game)
hustle pool

intransitive verb

1
2
: hasten, hurry
you'd better hustle if you want to catch the bus
3
a
: to make strenuous efforts to obtain especially money or business
Our quartet was out hustling … and we knew we stood good to take in a lot of change before the night was over.Louis Armstrong
b
: to obtain money by fraud or deception
c
: to engage in sex work
4
: to play a game or sport in an alert aggressive manner
She's not the most talented player on the team, but she always hustles.

hustle

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: energetic activity
I … went about the hustle of summer life.Stephen W. Kress
You stepped out of Penn Station into the dizzying hustle of Eighth Avenue …Colson Whitehead
I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city.
b
chiefly US : effort and energy in playing a sport
a baseball player who has been criticized for lack of hustle
The fans admire them for their hustle.
a player known more for his hustle than his talent
2
informal : a dishonest plan for getting money : scam
Now, the secret of any hustle is that you have to have information that the other guy doesn't have.Paul Newman
… a once-inspired con man on his last hustleMarilyn Stasio

Examples of hustle in a Sentence

Verb The guards hustled the prisoners into the jail. The star's manager hustled him out the back door of the theater to avoid the throngs of fans. He's not the most talented player on the team, but he always hustles. He's been hustling drugs for a few years. They hustle diamonds, furs—whatever people are buying.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But before Hollywood producers were lining up to woo him to their projects, Mescal was hustling to make ends meet. Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024 That means hustling through a shower and getting dressed; a friend is picking me up for a day of thrift shopping and hitting the Amish grocery stores. R29 Team, refinery29.com, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
There are several pockets to keep your things organized and it’s made with durable nylon to survive the hustle and bustle of travel. Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2024 But beneath the sweltering rhythms and constant references to Black mortality runs a deep pride in the hustle—in the work and effort of survival. Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hustle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hustle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Dutch husselen to shake, from Middle Dutch hutselen, frequentative of hutsen

First Known Use

Verb

1751, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hustle was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near hustle

Cite this Entry

“Hustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hustle. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hustle

verb
hus·​tle ˈhəs-əl How to pronounce hustle (audio)
hustled; hustling ˈhəs-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce hustle (audio)
1
: to push, crowd, or force forward roughly
hustled the prisoner to jail
2
: to move or work rapidly and tirelessly
3
: to sell something to or get something from by energetic and especially dishonest activity
hustle noun
hustler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hustle

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